Annapurna Sanctuary Trek

After breakfast, our tour guide will take us to the monuments and places that come under the category of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu. We will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, where we might see "Kumari", the living goddess, as well as visit pagoda style temples. Then we will visit Swayambhunath Stupa, a Buddhist temple which is known as the monkey temple. After that, we will visit Pashupatinath temple, one of the biggest and popular Hindus temples of Nepal, and thousands of devotees visit this temple every day. We might see cremation taking place on the bank of the Bagmati River. From here, we move towards Bouddhanath stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world where over 50 Tibetan Gompas or monasteries are located. After, we drive back to the hotel.

Post breakfast, we head to the airport for a morning flight to Pokhara along the Himalayan Range. Pokhara - one of the most beautiful places in Nepal, which is better recognized as the City of Lakes. Pokhara – the natural treasure of Nepal greets you with captivating views of the entire Annapurna Range- the five peaks of Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchhre and many more. After taking a rest, the journey makes a short drive to Nayapul and start the trek. We pass through sub-tropical valley forests, sometimes on the carved trail on the side of the cliff. After lunch, we cross the Bhurungdi Khola (river) via a bridge to the village of Tikhedhunga. The Ulleri Hill with thousands of steps and boulders that continually go upward will really prove a test of our stamina. We reach Ulleri by late afternoon.

From Ulleri, we move on along steep trails on well-known tracks. Nature lays before us alien sights of majestic snow-capped mountain peaks, lush vegetation and fertile plant life that is so fantastic to behold. We climb further through the rhododendron forest to Deorali [3100m] and reach a hamlet and cultivated fields. Continue walking for 3 hours and finally, we find ourselves in Ghorepani. Ghorepani is an interesting place with small shops and stalls for selling local products and crafts. The town has two parts: one in a saddle and the other a few hundred feet lower. Ghorepani also has houses lodges that provide food and accommodation to travelers out on the trail.

Today, we start our trek from Ghorepani to Poon Hill (3210m) and then to Tadapani. We will begin the trek to Poon Hill in the early morning to catch the first ray of sunrise. The pleasant sunrise at Poonhill trek passes through culturally rich villages that are set against the background of majestic mountains. Along with sunrise, it is also a great viewpoint to enjoy the amazing views of Mustang, Pokhara and more than 20 of the highest mountains including the close-up views of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges. We return back to Ghorepani and have our breakfast and then commence trek to Tadapani. The trek will begin through the thick forest of rhododendrons, bamboos, and oaks. One can observe and appreciate nature’s beauty; waterfalls, rocks, wild animals, birds, and green valleys.

The trail descends through a rhododendron forest and then opens to beautiful terraced fields. We make an uphill climb and pass through waterfalls and a suspension bridge. A few more uphill and downhill treks and we reach our destination, Chhomrong.

Leaving Chomrong, the trail descends via 2500 stone staircase and crosses the Chomrong Climbing further on a rocky trail (beware of the stinging nettles) we reach three hotels at Sinuwa, at (2350m) check post. We descend a long, steep stone staircase into deep bamboo and rhododendron forests. It is then a short distance on a muddy trail to Bamboo.

Today, we trek gently & ascend through bamboo forests with varieties of rhododendron and oak trees. The first town we reach is Dovan (2630m) where there are few lodges and campsites. Now you pass through the muddy trail which traverses high above the river. It takes approximately twenty minutes to reach Deurali.

Today, we climb gently through a river bed then over a steep trail over to the mountainside. The hike from Bagar to Machhapuchhre Base Camp is somewhat strenuous. Machhapuchhre base camp is one of the places where we get excellent views of the majestic Machhapuchhre along with Mt. Hiunchuli, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Annapurna III, Gandharvachuli and Gangapurna which is certainly a rewarding experience. The vegetation disappears on our way to ABC and the path widens as we enter the Annapurna sanctuary. From here, we get sensational views of the near-vertical south face of Annapurna towering above us. The sanctuary boasts of a dynamic view without anything impeding the 360-degree panorama. From the base camp, we again get to savor mesmerizing views of the Machhapuchhre, Annapurna South, Annapurna I, Hiunchuli and other peaks. The views hereabouts will give us so clear pictures that will linger in our memories for as long as it takes.

Early in the morning after a warm breakfast, we can see mesmerizing sunrise views and retrace back to Bamboo.

The path is descent up to Bamboo passing through forests with varieties of rhododendron, oaks and bamboo plants. After Bamboo, the trail goes steeply up to the Kuldi Ghar and now the trail is quite flat until we reach Sinuwa. We trek gradually descending to the Chomrong Khola and we go up a stone staircase which we think will never end for almost an hour till we reach Chomrong. The last part of the trail is steeply down to Jhinu Danda. From the town, we walk down for 20 minutes to reach Hot Spring at the bank of the Modi Khola. We can unwind us at the hot springs & pamper our body with a hot bath.

Today after breakfast, we will hike up to Nayapul and then take a ride to reach Pokhara. The trek to Nayapul is a lovely hike as we enjoy the views of beautiful landscapes along the trail back. We will haul up for lunch on the way.

Our trek will end at Naya Pul where we get onto our vehicle up to Pokhara.

Note:

If the road construction connecting Jhinu Danda to Naya Pul is complete, driving from Jhinu Danda to Pokhara could be another option.

We fly to Kathmandu in the afternoon. After arriving in Kathmandu, we will be transferred to our pre-booked hotel. We enjoy the day leisurely or catch up on some last-minute shopping or explore any landmarks we missed during our first day in Kathmandu. In the evening we celebrate the successful completion of our journey, we will have a farewell dinner.

Our journey in Nepal comes to an end today! But the memories will remain forever of the wonderful times we spent together. A High Wonders Travel representative will drop us off at the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight.